Coy Pond

Coy Pond, an oasis of peace and tranquillity in the heart of Bournemouth, Dorset.

Bournemouth’s thriving seaside conurbation is well known for its ornamental pleasure gardens that line the little stream after which the town is named. A small signpost stands by The Square, pointing one-and-a-half miles upstream, to Coy Pond. At the far end of beautiful stream-side walks, Coy Pond is a more secluded area, much valued by local people and yet still relatively little known to visitors.

Coy Pond and Gardens, including a restored 550 foot long rockery, is a product of over 20 years of co-operation and partnership between the local authority and residents who form the Friends of Coy Pond. Their band of volunteers enjoy regularly tending the gardens, always seeking to welcome visitors with places of interest to explore and use. The priority is to attract wildlife, especially with insect-friendly plantings, and encourage pond life, animals and birds to be established in the area.

People come with their cameras, exercise mats, bicycles, painting easels, dogs, running shoes, picnics, even musical instruments to sit on the logs and play, and Coy Pond is a focus for walking groups and a favourite place for wedding photographs. The Bourne Valley Greenway passes through, bringing more to enjoy the area, but there is plenty of space for all and a sense of peace and tranquillity prevails along the stream, beside the rockery, among the weeping willow trees and around the pond.